[metalkaren]

Hi, I am a Macdebate refugee, although I was not a regular user. But it was always a huge help to me. This forum looks good too.

Can anyone recommend some quality earbuds for my ipod? I have been through 2 pairs of the apple headphones and finally have come to the conclusion that they are total crap since they don't last longer than 6 months. They start rattling and become unusable. I was looking into the apple in-ear phones, but I'm wondering if those would be any better.

Basically I am looking for small ear buds that fit well in the ear, have a clear sound, block out background noise, and cannot be heard by other people around me. I am hoping to spend less than $100. Any ideas? Thanks.

[Gargoyle]

Welcome. Hope you enjoy it here.

You should check out the search function before making new posts tho'. It's great for finding stuff like this.

[metalkaren]

Hey thanks. Although there is not a whole lot of talk about ear buds on this thread. But I suppose the large ones are better quality. Still, I think they're just too bulky for me.

[usurp]

hey metalkaren whats up! we have a whole thread here dedicated to MacDebate refugees. we are i think around 7 refugees at the moment.

I would recommend Shure E2s. They are pretty cheap.
here are pics with the foam sleeves

http://unex-t.com/e2/

[metalkaren]

Thanks for the welcome. I read some of the thread.

what are those foam things? Does all of that go in your ear? Geez....

[Luca]

Sennheiser MX500s are an excellent value for earbuds. $15 and better sound quality than the iPod ones. My main problem with them was that the headphone cord is a bit shorter than the iPod ones, so it pulled a bit too much. Also, the cord tended to stiffen up and transmit a lot of thump sounds if I went outside in < 60° weather. Seriously, it's under 60° like 75% of the time here in Minnesota.

The good thing is that they sound great, they're comfortable, they come with a really convenient wind-up case, and they have an inline volume control.

If you're willing to accept something a bit larger, I've heard that Sennheiser PX200s are good. They are a headband-style one that folds up small for transport.

Oh, and avoid the Sony MDR-EX71SLs. They're the in-ear style and they sound really muddy and bland. Not worth the $50 or so they cost. Better to go with the Shure E2s for $100. And yes, those foam pads go all the way inside your ear. It seals out outside noise and generally gives you very good sound quality, but it does take some getting used to. You have to find the right sized pads for your ear. Too small and they fall out, too large and they get painful.

[usurp]

yeah metalkaren, as luca said, these go into your ear.
with the shure e2s, you get a pair of foam sleeves in 1 size and you also get 3 pairs of silicon sleeves in small, medium and large size.

foam is the best, very comfy and best isolation but they get dirty and need to be replaced after a while. Silicon are the ones i currently am using, they look better and u dont need to replace them. i might have a picture here somewhere hold on.

http://shure.com/earphones/images/e2c_big.jpg

i will upload one i have taken when i get home.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by usurp foam is the best, very comfy and best isolation but they get dirty and need to be replaced after a while. Silicon are the ones i currently am using, they look better and u dont need to replace them.

My Etymotic ER-6 have double flanged silicone tips and they cut out the outside noise better than the foam tips. The white ER-6i model comes with triple flange tips which should provide even better isolation. I have not tried the triple flange tips, but I agree that the foam are the most comfortable.

[ast3r3x]

Going from iPod to flanged took me a day or two. Going from flanged to foam took me the same. I started off with small foam because I felt like I couldn't fit it all in my ear, then I got used to it, and I now love those giant orange ones.

[usurp]

Eugene yeah i heard the triple flange tips are the best on the E3s also. Sadly they dont work on the E2s. I love my foamies. And I just checked, I made a mistake, the E2s come with 3 sized foamies as well! Can't believe i forgot about the other ones. Am back to using some clean fresh foamies now

[gsxrboy]

How about the Koss Plugs? Anyone have experience with those?

[thequicksilver]

Originally Posted by Luca Oh, and avoid the Sony MDR-EX71SLs. They're the in-ear style and they sound really muddy and bland. Not worth the $50 or so they cost.

Couldn't agree less. I love mine, and if you're regularly in noisy environments, they're fantastic. I'd point out though that I've not used any of the alternatives Luca's used.

[Luca]

Well, they're really not THAT bad, but not worth the money. If they were $25 I'd consider them, but I still think the Sennheiser MX500s sound better.

[phutyle]

Originally Posted by Luca Oh, and avoid the Sony MDR-EX71SLs. They're the in-ear style and they sound really muddy and bland. Not worth the $50 or so they cost.

While headphones/earbuds are obviously very much a personal choice, I have to say I'm really happy with my MDR-EX71SLs. I think the sound is brilliant, and I love the way they block almost everything out from your surroundings (don't wear when you're cycling. you won't hear traffic even with your music off). No need for bass booster, and they're really comfortable. Well worth €50.

Like I say, it's all subjective, but if you're not getting a good sound from them, there's a chance you haven't fitted them in your ear properly. They come with 3 different size buds, so you might need to experiment to suit your own ear size.

Oh, and they need to be cleaned every now and then . If the one tiny hole where the sound comes out gets blocked, the sound will diminish and then go all-together. I've read about plenty of people thinking they were broken when all they needed was a quick clean.